Editor: In 1973, Eric Hoffer wrote: “If a society is to preserve its stability and a degree of continuity, it must know how to keep its adolescents from imposing their taste, attitudes, values and fantasies on everyday life.” He would be shocked today to see to what degree our culture is beset by perceived adolescent taste in magazines, movies and television.

Editor: Here we go again. In November, the Republican Party won a huge victory at election time. Then in a headlong rush to snatch defeat from the hands of victory they immediately start to cave into the hapless President Barack Obama and his lame duck supporters. First, the Republicans got out-negotiated by the president, and end up saving the Bush tax cuts, which was good, but paid a horrible cost in obscene earmarks. Why not wait until the new members were seated and get it done right?